CurtWRX said:
I gotta agree with this
I hardly ever hear of SNK in the mainstream
I agree with it to a point...
SNK hasn't been the most visual company in US based magazines. But a LOT of it has to do with the mainstream audience. When the next generation consoles came out, such as the Playstation and the Saturn, a lot of people looked at SNK as an "outdated" system. 3D became the norm and machines that only did 2D games were considered to be "old school" in the eyes of a mainstream US gamer. The only true breakthrough games in the US audience for SNK after 1995 were Bust-A-Move and Metal Slug. We all know that there a lot more greatness to the system besides these titles, but compared to the 3D eye candy that the Playstation & Saturn provided the Neo Geo didn't stand a chance against those gamers that needed more visuals than gameplay.
Besides that... Companies pay thousands of dollars to advertise in these magazines, some even doing it more than others so they get more ads and reviews. It's the same thing with FM Radio and pop music... the companies that spend more money to get their products talked about, the more that they're hyped, seen and heard. SNK/Playmore could spend the hundreds of thousands to push a project here in the US and get all sorts of "exposure" in the mainstream, but if the mainstream audience automatically thinks 2D=BORING, then it would be wasted money as they still get little to no sales.
If gaming magaznes were more inclined to embrace ALL aspects of the gaming industry... the mainstream, the underground, international, etc... and not just what is "hot" at the moment, then it would be a lot easier for SNK to sell and push their products in the US. And these days, the focus on gamimg is dominated by the home market, so SNK/Playmore needs to keep their focus on getting titles onto X-Box, PS2 and Gamecube. KOF:MI is a 3D game on updated hardware, so that will help get through to the visually brainwashed. And if the gameplay is solid for us hardcore fans, then there should be plenty of talk and exposure on our shores.
With that said, I'll continue to play SNK/Playmore titles even without a US mainstream following. I could careless if my favorite games are "number one" on any chart or are breaking sales records. In the end, it's my money and my time and I spend both doing the things I want to do.
Well, they did a pretty good job advertising the Neo-Geo Pocket here. The mainstream gamer knew what it was, what games were coming out for it, and actually cared to a certain degree provided they weren't hardcore Nintendo nerds.
They also did a good job back when the Neo was new.
I just wonder what the hell happened after that. :\
Pretty simple, actually. Nintendo dominates the handheld market and always have. The Gameboy has even managed to beat out more superior handhelds due to their extensive library of game titles and marketing power. Don't get me wrong, the NGPC is great and games like MOTM should have given them the push they needed to sell units. However, it boils down to the mainstream gamer and another issue between gameplay versus visuals. The mainstream audience were all for the GBA, and even the best NGPC titles looked outdated next to the worst GBA titles. Put that together with an extremely long list of playable games, and there was no way that the NGPC could compete.
Personally, I think the Turbo Express is the best handheld ever, with the Sega Nomad coming in a close second. The idea of being able to play the same titles "on the go" as you would on a regular console still sways my decision. I own the GBA and the NGPC, and the only title I play currently on the GBA is Bubble Bobble: Old & New. I couldn't choose between either one of those handhelds, but I can clearly understand why a mainstream gamer would choose the GBA over the NGPC.
Oh well.
